The Cecil Whig., 1887-12-17

pieces of candle and fixed them on the
branches. After that, she softly called
Rubert Robert, and Lucy, and told
them to get up and dress and come
into the kitchen.
Hsrrying back, she began, with a
BIT of burning stick, to light the can
dies. ust as the las. one was set ahame,
in trooped the three children.
Before they had time to say word,
thy were sllenced by their mothers
warning.
81 wish to fetch Roger in aud wake
him up before it," she said. "Keep
still until | come back !''
The little lad, fast asleep, was lifted
IN blanket and gently carried by his
mother into the beautiful presence.
"See Roger, my boy, see !'' she
said, arousing him. at is Christmas
morhing now ! In England they only
have Christmas -boughs, but here i'll
New England we have whole Christ
mas-trce.
40 Mother !" he cried. 90 Lucy
Is it really, really true, and no dream
at all? Yes, | see | see O Mother !
it is so beautiful Were all the trees on
all the hills lighted up that way when
Christ was born2 And, Mother" he
added, clapping his little hands with
JOY at the thought, why, yes, the stars
did sing when Christ was born They
must be glad, then, and keep Christ
mas, too, IN Heaven. l kn07O they
must, and there will be good times
there"
"Yes," said his mother; "there will
be good times there, Roger"
"rhen,' said the boy, | shan't mind
gong, now that I've seen the Christ
bough. / Ithat is that, Iiotiey:2"
What otas il that they heard? The
little Olcott home had never before
seemed to tTemble so. There were taps
at the window, there were knocks al
the door-and it was as yet scarcely
the break of day Tnere were voices
also, shouting something to somebody.
"Shall l put out the candles, Mother?"
whispered Robert.
"What will they do to US for having
the tree? | wish we hadn't it" regretted
Rubcrt; while Lucy clung to her
mothers gown and shrieked with all
her strength, cts Indians p
Pale and white and still, ready to
meet her fate, stood Mrs. Oicott, until,
out of the knocking and the tapping at
her door, her heart caught sound. 1t
was voice calling, "Rachel Rachel
Rachel ~
lumbar the door," she cried back
to her boys: cts your father calling !"
Down came the blankets i! up went the
curtain open flew the door and in
walked Captain Olcott, followed by
every man and woman in Plymouth
who had heard at break of day the
glorious news that the expected ship
had arrived at Boston, and with it the
Iong-lost Captain Olcott. For an in
slant nothing was thought of except the
joyous welcoming of the captain in his
own home.
"Nhat's this? What is it? What
docs this mean?" was asked again, and
again, when the first excitement vas
past as the tall young pine stood aloft,
its candles ablaze, IFS gifts still hanging.
"N's welcome home to Father !"
said Lucy, her only thought to screen
her mother.
"No, child, net" sternly spoke Mrs.
Olcott. Tell the truth :
"It's-a-Christmas- ' taltered
poor Lucy.
One and another and another, Pill
grins and Puritans all, drew near with
faces stern and forbidding, and gazcd
and gazcd, until one and another and
vet another softened slowly INTO a
smile as little Roger, piping voice
sung out:
"She made it for me, Mother did.
But pou may have it now, and all the
pretty things that are on it, too, be-
cause you've brought my father back
again; if Mother will let you,' he
added.
Neither Pilgrim nor Puritan frowned
at the gift. One man, the sternest
there, broke off a little twig and said /:
"I'll take it for the sake of the good
old times at home"
Then every one wanted to take bit
for the same sweet sake, until the young
pine was bereft Of half its branches.
But still it stood, like hero at his post,
candles burning and gifts hanging, until
all but the little household had de-
parted and even then, the last candle
was permitted to burn low and flicker
out before gift was disturbed, SO glad
were the Oicotts in the presence OF the
one great gift of that Christmas morn !;
so eager were they to be told every bit
of the story, the wonderful story, of
their fathers long, long voyage in a
poor, little, storm-beaten and disabled
ship which, at last, he had been able to
guide safely into port. His return
voyage had been made in the very ship
that Mrs. Olcott had hoped would arrive
in time for her Christmas tree.
That morning brought to Roger
something better than Christmas-trees,
better, if such a thing were possible,
than the home coming of the hero
captain-rcnewed life. 1t may have
been the glad surprise, the sudden
Linz In thl, hrinl,t ,nrncanca Of q